Democracy Ranking

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The Democracy Ranking was an index compiled by the Association for Development and Advancement of the Democracy Award, an Austria-based non-partisan organization. [1] [2] Democracy Ranking produced an annual global ranking of liberal democracies. The applied conceptual formula, which measures the quality of democracy, integrates democracy and other characteristics of the political system with the performance of non-political dimensions (gender, economy, knowledge, health, and environment). Democracy Ranking has emphasized a broader understanding of democracy, creating a conceptual link between politics and the output and performance of society. The Democracy Ranking has compared several-year intervals, delivering ranking results, which show how ranking positions and score levels have developed recently.

Contents

Ranking 2016

Source: [3]

RankCountryScorePolitical SystemEconomyEnvironmentGender EqualityHealthKnowledgeGender Comprehensive
1Flag of Norway.svg Norway 87.199.284.759.984.784.361.492.1
2Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 86.792.280.582.681.288.273.585.6
3Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 86.297.467.471.485.384.866.291.0
4Flag of Finland.svg Finland 86.099.763.760.684.782.170.292.4
5Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 85.194.369.578.182.881.467.687.3
6Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 83.393.669.759.381.984.968.786.5
7Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 81.492.263.366.382.881.359.186.8
8Flag of Germany.svg Germany 81.390.271.160.578.085.367.283.9
9Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 80.991.563.271.975.879.461.584.2
10Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 80.587.669.859.983.683.670.084.8
11Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 80.390.561.555.581.384.068.085.1
12Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 79.989.768.356.382.082.062.084.9
13Flag of Austria.svg Austria 79.985.569.166.480.286.669.182.0
14Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 79.687.862.370.680.679.864.183.5
15Flag of France.svg France 78.285.259.269.878.186.362.682.0
16Flag of the United States.svg United States 76.584.271.549.178.783.062.380.5
17Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 75.983.754.662.479.979.364.582.6
18Flag of Japan.svg Japan 75.579.857.163.882.087.765.878.8
19Flag of Spain.svg Spain 75.383.142.475.276.885.058.180.8
20Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal 74.885.145.267.874.480.354.179.7
21Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay 73.583.352.278.573.871.543.277.0
22Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 72.581.255.070.876.168.049.178.6
23Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 72.584.860.531.779.772.356.581.2
24Flag of Chile.svg Chile 72.081.451.267.376.976.841.478.4
25Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 72.079.460.557.274.976.154.576.4
26Flag of Israel.svg Israel 71.972.860.965.078.281.469.374.7
27Flag of Poland.svg Poland 71.480.553.566.674.971.944.277.4
28Flag of Italy.svg Italy 71.175.448.772.973.884.054.875.6
29Flag of Hong Kong.svg Hong Kong 70.760.977.291.480.0100.054.171.5
30Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 70.678.853.871.676.266.344.378.4
31Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica 70.280.244.779.070.173.134.574.9
32Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 70.269.162.857.478.682.475.272.5
33Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 69.177.146.267.173.076.543.374.5
34Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia 68.075.251.564.268.372.647.171.3
35Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 67.073.639.172.269.973.147.872.7
36Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore 65.952.290.578.186.679.763.165.5
37Flag of Greece.svg Greece 65.468.132.966.269.484.360.369.9
38Flag of Panama.svg Panama 65.371.753.275.967.769.728.372.5
39Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius 65.173.350.775.362.564.131.667.1
40Flag of Romania.svg Romania 65.070.052.073.269.466.738.470.4
41Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 64.470.449.758.571.770.441.572.7
42Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 64.067.952.160.071.071.146.069.2
43Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 63.967.446.466.573.768.547.473.5
44Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 62.566.946.071.269.664.239.469.6
45Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago 61.171.360.138.968.055.232.070.8
46Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia 60.667.929.960.261.970.544.066.4
47Flag of Peru.svg Peru 60.061.952.475.471.061.530.467.7
48Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica 60.069.035.062.561.665.829.664.8
49Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia 59.872.845.737.968.755.625.972.4
50Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador 58.763.947.175.663.159.022.964.2
51Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana 57.871.641.976.453.131.916.962.2
52Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines 57.764.044.977.359.150.025.864.1
53Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 57.358.046.379.065.961.830.363.7
54Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia 57.268.937.973.952.044.419.263.6
55Flag of Albania.svg Albania 56.958.536.064.065.868.442.263.3
56Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia 56.661.641.671.852.062.230.057.4
57Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia 56.458.740.968.965.866.328.861.9
58Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana 56.364.643.673.053.940.728.360.2
59Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic 55.961.337.870.956.558.329.159.9
60Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 55.755.650.071.165.167.125.862.3
61Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova 55.657.947.961.563.362.631.463.0
62Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 55.555.045.870.870.066.226.965.4
63Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia 55.461.644.862.666.048.224.365.7
64Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal 55.366.137.367.754.743.918.961.8
65Flag of India.svg India 54.863.646.668.650.945.918.157.5
66Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua 54.055.541.871.767.362.918.564.0
67Flag of East Timor.svg Timor-Leste 53.756.839.393.750.346.423.054.8
68Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia 53.556.747.472.957.547.725.857.7
69Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay 53.053.844.665.962.960.627.060.2
70Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine 52.354.342.829.772.362.943.665.3
71Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 52.270.526.948.635.930.627.857.1
72Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi 52.157.433.996.152.538.712.756.4
73Flag of Benin.svg Benin 51.763.344.062.247.326.520.154.9
74Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia 51.353.427.166.753.867.331.454.6
75Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey 50.642.651.271.562.964.042.853.7
76Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia 50.441.160.461.469.362.345.253.7
77Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea 49.954.742.175.654.536.017.454.4
78Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania 49.553.741.568.761.340.315.160.8
79Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala 49.048.250.866.158.157.117.054.3
80Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 49.042.746.883.863.162.120.555.3
81Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone 48.356.540.893.944.112.89.551.1
82Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh 48.147.040.474.460.251.719.655.1
83Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar 48.150.440.587.457.238.94.555.7
84Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait 47.936.185.848.264.363.336.949.6
85Flag of Honduras (2022-).svg Honduras 47.744.442.667.758.061.925.252.6
86Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina 47.549.520.556.153.469.928.253.5
87Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia 47.450.339.691.244.933.613.048.1
88Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal 47.145.546.961.467.054.614.256.5
89Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho 46.962.524.376.326.313.116.445.5
90Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 46.449.435.971.953.434.720.653.5
91Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 46.041.532.060.061.163.835.051.3
92Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia 45.550.132.373.457.331.010.453.5
93Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso 45.346.241.891.847.325.515.946.0
94Flag of Niger.svg Niger 43.249.440.072.133.332.57.239.6
95Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan 43.039.137.351.064.756.324.953.1
96Flag of Russia.svg Russian Federation 43.027.158.351.272.760.751.250.8
97Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon 42.932.845.148.657.974.339.645.6
98Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco 42.535.143.069.548.759.029.640.6
99Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique 42.553.523.365.235.420.912.247.3
100Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 42.231.433.360.668.262.939.452.9
101Flag of Mali.svg Mali 39.536.838.599.233.823.816.133.7
102Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea 39.435.241.692.141.326.017.238.0
103Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo 39.440.238.465.153.428.67.248.4
104Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria 39.341.446.373.634.513.917.738.0
105Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti 39.036.436.367.657.039.37.946.5
106Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain 38.618.271.550.764.466.941.939.6
107Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 38.321.947.753.967.966.038.345.5
108Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Côte d'Ivoire 38.140.442.369.833.513.319.735.5
109Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 35.724.832.770.645.355.529.234.2
110Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan 34.932.441.561.534.638.810.731.7
111Flag of Libya.svg Libya 29.515.832.257.145.058.223.429.6
112Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen 22.510.228.970.420.938.714.914.4

Vision

"The Democracy Ranking is interested in contributing to the global enhancement of the Quality of Democracy in a world-wide understanding and approach." [4]

Theory, conceptual formula and methodology

The Democracy Ranking initiative applies the following conceptual formula for defining democracy and measuring the quality of democracy:

Quality of Democracy = (freedom & other characteristics of the political system) & (performance of the non-political dimensions). [5]

This approach includes also the output of democracies. Democracy Ranking refers to countries (country-based democracies) with a population of one million or more and that are classified by Freedom House as "free" or at least as "partly free" (see also the Freedom House report). The Democracy Ranking makes explicit the "theoretical basis", which governs the theoretical self-understanding of the Democracy Ranking. [6]

The Democracy Ranking understands and measures democracies in a multi-dimensional framework and approach. By this, the Democracy Ranking contributes to a further development of measurement of democracy. According to the ranking, democracy consists of six dimensions (one political, five non-political), with different weights for the overall quality of democracy. Their weights are distributed accordingly:

  1. politics (or the political system) 50%;
  2. gender (gender equality in socioeconomic and educational terms) 10%;
  3. economy (or the economic system) 10%;
  4. knowledge (knowledge society, research and education) 10%;
  5. health (or the health system and health status) 10%;
  6. and environment (environmental sustainability) 10%. [7]

The theoretical basis of the Democracy Ranking encourages a broader approach for explaining and measuring democracy while covering and integrating non-political dimensions. This is enabled by an understanding that democracy represents not only a concept of the political system, but also a concept that extends to society and the context of society, and includes interfaces between politics, society, economy, and even the environment. Politics (policy) has or should have a responsibility for economic (socioeconomic) performance. Furthermore, there is also a need that democracy reflects the context of the (natural) environment.

Concepts of democracy turn out to be more demanding, the more they move from a mainly electoral democracy (emphasizing elections and political rights) to a liberal democracy (also encompassing civil liberties), and further extending to a liberal democracy of an advanced high quality. In that logic, the Democracy Ranking reflects and requires a "demanding type" of democracy.

Methodically, the Democracy Ranking does not create new indicators, but relies on already existing indicators that are being released regularly by renowned international and/or private non-profit organizations. The Democracy Ranking draws on available indicators according to a distinct conceptual formula and six-fold dimensional structure, thus providing a theoretically based conceptual design (a basic concept) of how to combine and aggregate these indicators. Depending on the source, the content of the indicators varies, extending from peer review assessment (Democracy indices) to indicators that capture performance (e.g., socioeconomic behavior). The Democracy Ranking initiative acknowledges the work of organizations such as Freedom House, the World Bank, and also the United Nations Development Program (more specifically the Human Development Index).

Reflections on the Democracy Ranking

The work of the Democracy Ranking is being reflected in academic discourse [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] and in coverage by international media. [15] [16]

Democracy Ranking

The Democracy Ranking analyzes several-year intervals, revealing relative ranking positions as well as changes of score levels over time. Typically, more than hundred countries are being compared in context of a specific Democracy Ranking. Based on ranking results and their shifts, a Democracy Improvement Ranking is being carried out, with a full result release. The Democracy Improvement Ranking places the emphasis on increases or decreases of the ranking scores of democracies. Individual annual rankings of the Democracy Ranking are also published in separate book volumes. [17]

See also

  

References

  1. "About Us". Democracy Ranking. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  2. "Contact". Democracy Ranking. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  3. "2016 Democracy Ranking". democracyranking.org. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  4. "Mission Statement". Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  5. "Campbell, David F. J. (2008). The Basic Concept for the Democracy Ranking of the Quality of Democracy. Vienna: Democracy Ranking" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  6. "Theoretical Basis" . Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  7. "Campbell, David F. J. / Miklós Sükösd (eds.) (2002). Feasibility Study for a Quality Ranking of Democracies. Vienna: Global Democracy Award" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  8. "Romo, M. C. Felipe Reyes (2007). Transnacionalismo y participación política. Consideraciones teórico-metodológicas para el desarrollo de un sistema electoral con participación extraterritorial. Congresistas (No. 149-153)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  9. "Campbell, David F. J. / Thorsten D. Barth (2009). Wie können Demokratie und Demokratiequalität gemessen werden? Modelle, Demokratie-Indices und Länderbeispiele im globalen Vergleich. (How Can Democracy and the Quality of Democracy Be Measured? Models, Democracy Indices and Country-Based Case Studies in Global Comparison.) SWS-Rundschau 49 (2), 208-233" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  10. Jochem, Sven (1 June 2010). "Wandel und Zukunftsaussichten des schwedisch-sozialdemokratischen Modells" . Leviathan. 38 (2): 227–249. doi:10.1007/s11578-010-0083-9. S2CID   145508627 via Springer Link.
  11. Barth, Thorsten D. (23 June 2010). Konzeption, Messung und Rating der Demokratiequalität: Brasilien, Südafrika, Australien und die Russische Föderation 1997-2006. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller. ASIN   3639264320.
  12. Denters, Bas; Rosema, Martin; Aarts, Kees (12 January 2011). How Democracy Works: Political Representation and Policy Congruence in Modern Societies : Essays in Honour of Jacques Thomassen. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN   9789085550365 via Google Books.
  13. Hankivsky, Olena; Salnykova, Anastasiya (2 April 2013). Gender, Politics and Society in Ukraine. University of Toronto Press. ISBN   9781442693395 via Google Books.
  14. Vatter, Adrian (12 June 2014). Das politische System der Schweiz. Nomos. ISBN   9783825240110 via Google Books.
  15. ""Globale Demokratie-Hitliste: Wer steigt auf und wer ab" (2013, December 12) by Wieland Schneider, Die Presse (Austria)". 11 December 2013. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  16. ""Only democracy can clean up the planet. Save the ballot box and save the world" (2009, November 20), by Neil Reynolds, The Globe and Mail (Canada)". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on 23 November 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  17. Campbell, David F. J.; Barth, Thorsten D.; Pölzlbauer, Paul; Pölzlbauer, Georg (10 September 2012). Democracy Ranking (Edition 2012): The Quality of Democracy in the World. Books On Demand. ISBN   978-3848217984.